A Reynord's Skulk
by psychocitten
Summary: 2nd part to Fallen Shinobi. Naruto has been caught after living his lie and is allowed out of his cell in exchange for missions. While he looks for his runaway family it seems that others are looking for them just as hard.
1. Chapter 1

**Cage**

He could feel the slick blood drip from the split in his lip soaking his beard and the light was dim in the dark room. Feet shuffled in a dark corner and his swirling red and blue eyes stole a quick glance at the figure. No one he knew.

Sniffing the air all he could smell was the putrid scent of himself and the fear of the other occupant. It was a sharp addicting tangy scent. They hadn't let him bathe in months so blood had dried in his greasy hair and on his skin, making him itch and ache everywhere. The only comfort that he had was that they hadn't been able to get them. His family, his wife, his child, he then remembered that he had more than one child. He had two.

He hadn't been able to hold the newborn baby, his baby; the child that he had made with his wife. A dark chuckle escaped his lips making the unknown figure in the room tense. He was getting selfish and conceited in his captivity.

The door swung open soundlessly in front of him distracting him from his morbid thoughts. The dark corner figure relaxed at the sight of their Hokage.

"Naruto." More red bleed into his eyes as he watched the bitch that took him away from his mate. Startled at his thoughts Naruto took a breath to calm the demon stirring in his heart. The red didn't disappear from his eyes but his mind cleared from the hunger induced haze they had forced on him. "I have made a deal with the counsel."

Thinking back Naruto remembered from all those years ago that it wasn't Baa-chan that had taken him but the counsel. They had given him his own cell and their personal demon hating interrogator. Naruto laughed again spitting the blood left over in his mouth from the now healed cut.

"What would the all might counsel want from the lowly Kitsune demon of Konoha?" His voice had changed. It was harsh and guttural sounding like a feral growl of an animal. With only a bit of amusement he watched Baa-chan shiver. He didn't have to live under the guise he had had to in the outside world. To hide what he was to walk down the street in daylight.

"Naruto?" She paused, "Do you know how long you have been in here?" Naruto let his chakra go from his tight grasp and his cursed blood flowed freely.

Under his beard the whisker marks darkened and his teeth rearranged and allowed canines to emerge. Sharp teeth meant for fighting and tearing meat apart nicked his lip but the small lesion healed instantly. The tips of his ears grew just a little longer but nothing noticeable and his eyes were slitted and red. Chewed nails grew back and then sharpened dangerously.

"I would guess a few years Hokage-sama." Naruto could hear his adopted grandmother swallow thickly and he could see the sweat build, unnoticeable to human eyes, emerge on her forehead. Looking at his appearance Tsunade could tell she wasn't just talking to Naruto but the head of the newly emerging Uzumaki clan. The name didn't do the demon clan justice and she knew they would surely acquire a nickname soon.

"Naruto you have been in prison-" She faltered as his biting voice cut her off.

"Cage Baa-chan, I am in a cage." She ignored him and continued.

"-in prison for nine years." Silence echoed and oppressed the inhabitants of the room and Naruto could only stare at the woman in confusion.

"What did you say?"

"You have been in prison," emotion seemed to make her stumble this time and she took a step towards the bound man, "for nine years." Tears threatened to spill over her cheeks as her face stayed motionless and Naruto could now smell shock in the forgotten figure in the corner. It was almost identical to his. Quickly doing the math in his head pain pierced his heart.

"Yoshiro is twelve, and my new born baby is what, nine? Oh my god," Naruto whimpered and Tsunade took another, larger step forward, "Miyako is thirty-five and dear lord, I'm an old man now aren't I?" The tears were now trailing down Tsunade's haggard face.

"I wouldn't call you old. Remember I am much older."

Naruto's world was wonderfully sharp again. He had lived in a haze for years and now he could see the time that had etched away at her face. It was a bitter sweat moment for him. Tsunade moved forward quickly and undid his shackles from around his neck, feet and writs. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and seemed to be waiting something to come to him. The figure in the corner smelled of unbridled fear and Tsunade was sorrow, and something else that Naruto couldn't tell. Deceit came to the front of his mind but Naruto pushed it away with a ragged shake of his head.

"Wait," pain and misery bubbled up into his chest as his mind sorted out this new information, "my baby is nine?" Tsunade nodded but then looked at him in confusion mixed with caution.

"Baby?" Naruto panicked and grabbed her shoulders.

"Yes my baby! The one Miyako gave birth to!"

"Oh Naruto." He voice was soft as she watched him, stoking the side of his face. "You have more than one new baby. Miyako had twins. A boy and a girl."

He had missed everything. His baby's no, babies' first steps, first words, everything.

"Nine years Baa-chan! Nine years! My babies are grown up!" Naruto drew ragged breaths as he tried to hold the tears and sobs at bay. He noted that the figure's scent was confused but he paid it no mind. Only to the soft touches his Kaa-chan was giving him.

"I know Naruto I know let it out. You have nine year to make up." The pain and rage flowed from him in torrents as he held Tsunade and cried.

"There is no making up for it! That was it! My children are grown it is over!" His glazed, dull red eyes gazed up to Tsunade but they didn't hold the same sharp emotions his crystal blue did.

"My poor baby." She cooed and kissed his forehead, "My poor baby" Naruto felt something warm flow through him and he broke into a new fit of hysterics and clung to her as she rocked him back and forth running her fingers through his hair and murmuring. He calmed and breathed her scent deeply but didn't move away from her protective arms and wondered if this was what his children felt when they were held by Miyako.

"Naruto?" he felt himself nod, "I came today and I am sorry I haven't been allowed to visit before but I have news for you." He stayed were he was and listened. "You will be allowed out of your," her voice was bitter and mocking, "cage if you do missions for the village."

Glazed red eyes peeled open and Naruto leaned back just enough to stare at Tsunade.

"Missions."

"Suicide."

"Ah." He replied softly. "Will there be precautions?" He questioned as he laid back down. Tsunade's cruel smile at nothing told him his answer.

"Well," he sniffed, "it is better than nothing I guess." The forgotten man in the corner smelled confused and he shifted to peer into the dark abyss. He could see the person now and watched emotions flitter across his face. He looked so familiar but Naruto couldn't seem to place him.

A few scars littered his skin and messy dark brown hair was held back by a head band. Dark eyes watched the scene his Hokage and a powerful demon made.

"Who are you?" His voice still sounded guttural but was, in his opinion, softer than before. The ninja flinched slightly and, taking a closer look, Naruto realized that he was young. The man pulled himself together and gave Naruto a shaky smile.

"Gee Naruto-nii-san you would think you would recognize your number one fan." Naruto stared at the boy a while longer before his eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

"Konohamaru!" He nodded his head. "Man you were nervous over there." He just chuckled good naturedly. Slowly Naruto peeled himself out of Tsunade's arms and cracked his neck sighing.

"Fine."

"What?" Tsunade asked.

"Fine I will do it but Konohamaru will work with me." The two most powerful beings in the village looked over to the person in question. He swallowed.

"Yeah sure." Naruto's face split into a feral grin and he felt his teeth press dangerously into his lip.

"Well Ka, sorry, Baa-chan," she held up her hand.

"It's fine Naruto and it's Kaa-chan to you." He was taken back as he stared at her.

"Do you know what that means Tsunade?"

"Kaa-san." She replied, he swallowed thickly and nodded.

"Well, K-Kaa-san," She smiled gently, "were do we start?"

A.N. TADA!!! I tried fixing it up! I hope it is better than what it was before. I know it doesn't seem like I changed it but I did tweak little things to fit the direction I am taking this.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Great Uzumaki-sama**

The young boy felt a familiar breath ghosting across his ear as tried to silently make his way down the hall. Freezing the breath stopped as well as two pairs of ears listened to the dark. Blue eyes squinted in thought but the boy shook his head and continued to move. Reaching a door that was larger than others in the hall the dark haired boy put his precious cargo from his back next to it.

Blue eyes met in silent communication, the boy taped on the door then slowly turned the ornate handle with a click and swung it open. He peered into the room then turned back to the other person on the floor. Picking the smaller body up like a bride the boy skittered across the room to the single large bed and put the person down. His hushed whisper broke the silence.

"Go wake him up." The other dark mass nodded their head and seemed to pull themselves up a little on the bed before lightly grasping a lump under the covers.

"Uncle? Uncle?"

"What are you two doing?" A new harsher whisper spoke from the door frame.

"Onii-san!?" The person on the bed jumped in recognition.

"Shut up Onii-san! You wake up Uncle wrong and he won't tell us anything!" A light flicked on to reveal two guiltily children, a disapproving pre-teen, and two hiddenly amused adults.

"There is a right way to wake me up?" Green eyes heavy with sleep watched the young twins blush.

Subaku no Gaara cleared his throat and let his sand move the girl at the end of his bed towards him. Looking over at the woman next to him he motioned for her to lay back down. Her brown and green flecked eyes seemed to smirk but her body gave a small sigh.

"We will be quiet." She nodded. By the end of the conversation the small girl was hovering next to the most fear man in the elemental nations. Running his pale fingers through his hair Gaara gave his own sigh and plucked the girl from his sand to sit on his lap. She twirled a strand of dark hair in her fingers as she watched him get comfortable in his bed.

"Why are you three out of bed at," he glanced at his clock and his eyes widened just a fraction, "four thirty in the morning?" The boy shuffled in his new place at the side of the bed next to the Kazekage and motioned towards the girl.

"Michi wanted to talk to you about some things."

"Nuh uh! Yasu wanted to too!!" The girl looked a bit panicked at the thought of her brother putting the whole blame on her. The young man at the foot of the bed just rolled his eyes.

"That wasn't the question otouto, imouto. Why?" Michi seemed sufficiently cowed but Yasu seemed to puff up at his brother's challenge.

"Shut up Yoshiro no one asked you!"

"Watch your mouth you hear me Yasu? Okaa-san would wash your mouth out with soap!" As Yasu opened his mouth to yell some more Gaara held up his hand and glared softly at the children. His voice quietly broke the now uneasy silence.

"Both of you will keep you voice down because Akane is trying to sleep. Now why is it that you have slunk into my room to disturb the little sleep I have?"

"Uncle Gaara?" Michi said from his lap curling into him and looking up quietly, "can you tell us about Otou-san?" Gaara sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose taking a minute to collect his thoughts.

"What do you want to hear?" Yasu scrambled up onto the bed and Gaara motioned for Yoshiro to climb up as well. He waited patiently for the three children to settle and start asking questions.

"What does he look like?" Yasu started the conversation from his place ignoring the dirty look from his older brother.

"I already told you Yasu and Uncle Gaara has told us as well. Jifu was huge! He had bright blonde hair and he was always laughing."

"You remember Otou-san from when you were what? Two?"

"No I was three."

"Big difference." The two scowled before Gaara scoffed and took a breath.

"Your father never had the easiest life but like Yoshiro said he would always smile. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. The last I saw of him he was not large, but Yoshiro what did you say was your father's occupation?"

"A carpenter." Gaara nodded and seemed to be staring blankly into the distance before he shifted and looked at the children clustered on his bed. Each one resembled their father but at the same time they were so different, resembling that woman in fact. Yoshiro had Naruto's hair coloring while Yasu and Michi had his eyes.

"Did I ever tell you that your father and I fought?" Simultaneous gasps caused him to smirk, "I guess not. We had entered the Chunin exams in Konoha but it was all a ruse for an invasion." Gaara glanced at the clock next to his bed before he turned back.

"To make my long and boring story short it ended with Naruto head butting me while Shukaku and Gamabunta fought viciously. He, probably even to this day, says, and I quote, kicked my aaa- butt. I will tell you it was a draw. Sincerely we were both on the last dregs of our strength."

A soft snicker broke his revere and the children's concentration as he looked over to his supposedly sleeping wife.

"Akane?"

"You were beaten by a boy that was hardly known to the world at the time." Akane's sleepy voice was muffled just slightly because she was turned away. "You were already a killer than and you were a very cold blooded one at that." Gaara's aqua eyes narrowed at her back.

"Your point?"

"You were beaten badly by a meer child with a strong will to save his village." Gaara relaxed into his pillow as he went back to studying that meer child's offspring.

"I am proud of that fact are you not? He fought for what was important to him as I do now." At last Akane turned back to look at him and sighed dramatically.

"I will kiss that man when I finally meet him." Yoshiro and Yasu gagged in the back of their throats while Michi watched wide eyed and Gaara laughed softly, a deep rumble in his chest that Michi leaned into.

"Now kids," Akane started, "Gaara has a lot of work to do tomorrow and you need to be rested for life as well." Yasu jumped off the bed and went to his sister letting her climb onto his back while Yoshiro walked calmly to the door.

"Uncle Gaara?" Yasu said watching the man in bed, "when are you going to teach Michi and me some more chakra control?" Pulling his pillows back into place Gaara considered what Yasu had said and finally looked back at the boy.

"Soon." Yasu nodded sadly then followed his brother out the door watching the ornate door handle click shut. Yasu could feel his face pull into a scowl and Yoshiro was looking at him from the corner of his eye.

"It isn't fair." Yasu said still scowling at the floor, "that you have memories of Otou-san and we don't." Yasu felt Michi shift on his back and look to Yoshiro.

"Nii-san is right Onii-san. You know Otou-san and we don't." She studied the emotions flicker across Yoshiro's face and waited for him to start talking.

"It is just like Yasu said. I was three when I knew Jifu," His swirling eyes seem to dim as his faint memories danced in his mind, "I can't really remember him but I can remember how he smelled and the way it felt when he held me." Yoshiro seemed guilty for a moment as he glanced at his younger siblings. "I wish you would have met him but I don't know where he is now. The last I know he was in Konoha with Okaa-san and me."

He shook his head and continued walking his siblings to their room.

"Onii-san?"

"Yeah Yasu?" The boy hesitated before determination set itself in his eyes.

"I want to meet Otou-san." A soft gust of breath left Yoshiro's lips as his eyes dimmed further in misery.

"I am sure Jifu will come to get us, he always takes care of us. Jifu will come."

"That doesn't seem likely!" Yasu had stopped to stand squarely against his brother and glared into the others eyes, then was amazed when Yoshiro flinched back slightly. "It's obvious Otou-san isn't coming to get us and the only thing left to do is to go to him! What if, what if Otou-san _isn't _able to get to us? Huh? Have you thought of that?"

"Jifu is too strong to be captured." Yoshiro hissed back quelling his brother's anger and trying to fight back his own fear.

"Brothers." Michi's soft voice broke the glaring contest, "I don't want you to fight but what Yasu said makes sense. What if Otou-san can't get to us Yoshiro? What are we going to do?"

The three were lost in their own thoughts as they tried to form an idea of their own.

"Yoshi," Yoshiro startled at his old nickname and look at his brother, "You are done with your chakra training right?" He nodded warily, "So are you like a genin?"

"No I don't have any combat training, Uncle explained why no one has taught us though. He said it had something to do with Okaa-san not wanting us to be ninja and that no one but our head of clan can teach us what we need to know. Said something about him being the Tanuki clan and no one could actually train us the way we were suppose to be trained. I… think that was how he said it. Why?"

"Where was the last place you saw Otou-san?" Suspicion rose up from the back of Yoshiro's mind as he watched a light seem to flick on in Michi's eyes.

"Konoha. Again why?" He asked in annoyance.

"Well, why don't we go to him?" Silence seemed to reverberate in the hallway as Yoshiro stared incredulously at the twins.

"Are you joking?"

"Nu-uh."

"I, uh, wait, did you just suggest that we, as in you two, Okaa-san and me go to Konoha?"

"Nope just you and us."

"To find Jifu?"

"Yes." The other softer voice said from Yasu's back. Yoshiro made a strangled noise in the back of his throat before looking about the hallway for some answer that wasn't there. "Onii-san I want to meet Otou-san. I want to know if Uncle's hugs are better than his and I want to know what he smells like too, just like you."

Yoshiro studied the twins in front of him before his face twisted up in thought.

"I don't know you guys."

"You would be there to protect us." Michi said firmly as if that closed the deal. Yoshiro went back to studying them before he huffed and started ushering everyone down the hall.

"Once I have all the plans in place I will tell you two. It is going to be a long trek and we are going to need supplies." Yoshiro never noticed the two triumphant expressions in front of him as his mind whirled with the idea of seeing his hero again.

The Great Uzumaki Naruto, his father.

A.N. Hi, um, this financial crisis in the U.S. is really bad for my family right now sooooo I am sorry that I was distracted but then again can't blame me. This is really really important so please take the time to just read these few sentences. _**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed or just subscribed to my story. When I posted the last chapter I was hoping for maybe 20 reviews I received around 80 fanfiction alerts. You guys have no idea how much I needed to be reminded that people like to read my story. Again thank you so very much.**_I am worried though about Gaara's voice. He is my favorite character!!! Hands down, period, and I really don't want to ruin him. Tell me what you guys liked what you didn't and um I don't own Naruto? That's it.


	3. Chapter 3

**This is Jifu**

Naruto stared out at the grass land watching for the large caravan he was to be guarding with a group of 10 ninjas. The branch next to him swayed as the added bulk of Sasuke landed silently next to him and then the silence resumed. It was always like that when he was put on a team and the only people that would actually talk with him normally was his old friends; when it was only Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi and oddly enough Konohamaru. The others within the rookie had taken some weird stance he couldn't understand.

They were happy he was back but at the same time they didn't know how to interact with this new Naruto. He looked down at his wrists and frowned at the metal bracelets and long nails. They looked like unassuming bands of metal on both of his wrists but on the inside, seals flared every so often with his chakra reminding him he couldn't leave fire country, no mater how hard he tried and he had tried.

The branch under him shifted again as Sasuke turned to look at him from the corner of his eye. Turning his red eyes toward the Uchiha Naruto lifted his eyebrow.

"Yeah?' Sasuke just turned fully to stare at him like he was stupid, which he informed him of promptly.

"Dobe," He started, "what is your problem?" Sasuke flinched at the heat Naruto was sending through his gaze.

"My problem is on the other side rain, you know that."

"What I know is that you have been brooding for three weeks, ever sense you came out of that stupid prison cell." The retort Naruto had thought of caught in his throat as he stopped and studied Sasuke.

Nine years had aged him but Sasuke's looks hadn't changed. A few lines had appeared around his eyes and mouth but they only added character. Naruto on the other hand had gotten the raw end of deal he thought.

A jagged scar traced the right side of his jaw up towards his temple so he had trimmed up his beard to hide most of it. His hair was long and held back by a tie but at least he had been able to wash the blood and grime from it. All the muscle he had built up, the broad defined, healthy look he had gained from taking a less bloody path, the look Miyako liked, was gone. He was back to being to skinny, to wiry and he didn't like it. He felt like he was less of a man for being so small, for being so weak. He was getting stronger but the progress was to slow for him, he needed strength so he could get to Sunagakure.

A shift in light caught Naruto's eye and he couldn't believe it.

"Hey, Teme?" Reaching out Naruto grabbed a single hair on the Uchiha's head, "Is this a grey hair?" He asked incredulously.

"What?"

"Is this a grey hair?"

"I know what you said asshole, what do you mean grey hair?" Sasuke asked in restrained panic trying to see what Naruto held in his hand. He chuckled at him.

"I mean grey hair, you have one hair that is not black."

"Shit."

"You can say that again." They sighed together leaving the implications of a grey hair hanging in the air.

"Naruto?" He grunted in response, "how do you feel?" A long silence stretched out as Naruto tried to comprehend what Sasuke had just said or if he had even said it at all and then he started laughing.

"The fuck man? Who the hell are you and what have you done with Teme?" Their eyes met as Sasuke smirked and nodded. "Ah, Sasuke I feel so much older than you look." A twitch appeared in the raven eyebrow as Sasuke glared at Naruto in rebuke. Not saying anything the larger man turned to look back at the fields leaving Naruto to chuckle.

Calming down Naruto looked back over the border of Rain and Leaf spotting the caravan. Building his self confidence back up he sent a silent thank you to Sasuke for taking his mind off of his depressing thoughts and jumped to the ground with the rest of the team. The only people he knew within the group was Sasuke, and Kiba but Kiba had taken to avoiding him like the plague. He just chocked it up to him having a foxy smell.

Walking towards the back of the ninja group Naruto waited with the rest of them for the leader of the caravan to make it to the border. The caravan was huge and Naruto was starting to understand why he was put on this mission watching the multitude of ninja from Rain dart back into the tall grass and hiding themselves.

For the past three weeks he had been put on nothing but assassination missions, and not the quiet ones but destroy the band of thieves assassination missions. His focus faded out as the caravan leader greeted the captain and pleasantries started. Scratching his beard he glanced up at Kiba and saw the Inuzaka in the same boat as him. Feeling Naruto's eyes on him Kiba turned and caught who was staring. Winking Naruto turned back to listen to the captain start harping at them.

The captain walked purposely through the group of ninja straight to Naruto.

"Demon." Naruto could feel his face turn into a sneer and the man swallowed, "you are expected to be on your best behavior. Don't screw up." And with that the captain motioned towards the others and they disappeared. Before he left Naruto stared deep into the captain's eyes judging the fear he saw there.

"For knowing that I am a demon you have a lot of guts to threaten me, even if it is subtle." With that Naruto and Sasuke vanished as well.

* * *

The large troop of people and animals had been walking for hours and Naruto thought they were going no where. He lazily searched for entertainment as villagers and merchants warily eyed him. As he sniffed the air he felt a little body run into his leg and he looked down at a child barely six years old. The child looked stunned as he stared up at him. Mulling it over Naruto realized he must look scary to children. Red eyes, long teeth, ears and nails, then the wild man look with his beard and hair.

Kneeling down Naruto could feel the caravan's eyes on them watching his every move, judging him. He reached forward and hooked his hands under the boy's arms and lifted him with easy to his feet. The boy blinked then smiled shyly at him. Naruto could feel a broad grin break across him face as he patted the boy's head.

"Go on kid. Go to your mother." He must have surprised the child with his voice because he jumped and giggled as he ran towards a woman standing next to the slowly moving wagons. Naruto nodded to the woman he supposed was the mother and continued to watch as they moved onward.

As Naruto felt his mind wander again he thought about the children he lost. What they would look like and if they would be scared of him like the rest of the populace. Before he was allowed to sink further in his depression Sasuke materialized next to him.

"You know something Sasuke?" The man grunted, "You now have this weird uncanny ability to be a giant pain in my ass when I want to brood." Sasuke huffed at the blonde and shrugged.

"You have an uncanny ability to be a pain in the ass no matter what the situation."

"I try." Silence resumed as the two men watched the stupid animals again. "Well," Naruto started, "This is boring. Unlike my usual stuff I do, killing you know?"

"Is that all you have been doing lately?"

"Yeah," Naruto sighed, "I have been the big secret weapon remember? I am put on a shelf until I am needed for something." Red eyes deepened in color as Naruto glared at the offending bracelets on his wrists "Then brought down to look good." Sasuke seemed to be pondering Naruto's words as his head tilted to the side.

"Well, you are to ugly to make anything look good."

"You son of a bitch! I'll have you know that I ha-" The words seem to get caught in his throat as tears sprung to his eyes. "I had, I have," he stopped trying to talk and let his words hang in the air and shook his head in frustration. Sasuke patted his shoulder tentatively and they were both surprised at a familiar figure running towards them with company.

The little boy from earlier and his friends ran towards Naruto and grabbed his hands and pants.

"Come on Shinobi-san play with us please?" Surprised Naruto looked at the children in wonder, hope welling in his chest.

"You want to play with me?" A chorus of yeahs met his ears and he nodded just as eagerly as the children. "Well let's go!" As they ran towards a wagon to get toys a scent, a familiar smell made him stop.

It was his blood, similar but not the same, it was his and Miyako's blood that he smelt and no one could smell like that here. His skulk was in the desert far away from the dangers of fire. Naruto could feel his mind slip a little as the fox blood stirred deep inside him in recognition. He had to find his kits because no matter what his logical mind was telling him his kits were here in this caravan. They were hiding too, because anxiety was mixed with their scent, uncertainty and even fear. He had to find them and make sure they were safe.

Ignoring the children's yells of distress and the deeper voice yell out his name Naruto started to run through the wagons scaring beast of burden and scenting the air for any trace of them. Desperate he let more of the fox blood surface and his red eyes deepened and his senses were heightened. Catching a trail he followed it to a spices wagon and jumped into the back terrifying the driver.

"Demon! Demon!" Naruto ignored the frantic scream and peered into the darkness.

"Kits? Kits?" Naruto was surprised at how soft his voice was, how broken it sounded. A movement caught his eye but before he could investigate it he was thrown backwards onto the dirt behind the wagon. Looking up in rage Naruto started to imagine every way he could kill the man before him. The captain in turn swallowed through his dry throat and tried to speak forcefully to him, his voice cracked.

"Demon! What the fuck do you think you are doing?"

"Get out of my way captain." The title felt like poison and he spat it at the man satisfied when he saw a flinch.

"No."

"Get out of my way or I will kill you." It wasn't a threat it was a promise and the other shinobi knew it. The captain seemed to be shaking as he pointed at Naruto but he was moving.

"Just you wait demon the council will hear of this! They will punish you and put you back where you belong!" Naruto met his eyes.

"They can try." And he jumped up into the back of the caravan where a now obvious mass was hiding behind crates. "Kits? It is safe now you can come out. Please kits I know you are there." The mass shifted and a head poked out and turned towards him. Naruto gasped at he met his old eyes, sky blue met his red before another body jumped between them and blocked his view. Panicked he was about to shoved the body away before he realized who it was.

"Yoshiro?"

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" The boy had grown sense Naruto had seen him. He was taller and wiry, he looked like a boy about to hit his growth spurt a boy on the verge of becoming a young adult.

"Yoshiro, it is me, your father. It is me Yoshi Jifu and I missed you so much." The boy dropped his defensive stance and studied Naruto closely. Deeming him safe enough Yoshiro reached behind him and pulled the tarp away from his siblings never looking away.

"Yoshiro," a boy's voice hissed, "what are you doing?" Yoshiro licked his lips but couldn't tear his eyes away from the man before him.

"He doesn't look right, but, but this is our father Yasu, Michi, this is Jifu."

A.N. Hi you guys so I am more than positive you don't give a crap about how busy my life has become so let me boil it down to graduating high school. There you go! I am trying to get better but I just don't really have the time. Well don't own Naruto and tell me what you liked and didn't. thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

**Old Man**

"No I don't believe you." The group's eyes went to Yasu as he glared at the man before him. "You said Otou-san was big and strong, but he isn't! Look at him! He is covered in dirt, his cloths are gross. He looks weak!" Naruto inwardly cringed at the boy's assessment and still couldn't talk through the shock that clogged his throat.

"Shut up Yasu!" Yoshiro turned to Naruto, hope desperately clinging to his eyes, "Your Jifu right? Because I know you are, you have to be! You look at little different but, but you still are Jifu!" Naruto shook himself from his distress and studied the children before him.

There was no doubt in his mind that they were his. Their bone structure was the strange mixture of Miyuki's and his and the twin's eyes was the same otherworldly blue his was in his youth. Yoshiro was maturing and tears started to build in Naruto's eyes as he realized just how much he really had missed. He thought he had understood before but now with the truth before his eyes he couldn't help but feel bitter at the village who betrayed him, even if he had turned his back first.

The once bright, happy, carefree boy looked desperate and tired. The bright light that was present in Yoshiro's youth was still there, just dimmed, from what Naruto didn't know.

The twins had Miyako's hair; it was the beautiful black that he thought could absorb the light around it yet sparkle in the sunlight and reflect the moon.

Realizing he was taking forever to answer his son he nodded and spoke with a deeply graveled voice from under use and emotions.

"Yes Yoshi it's me." Yoshiro cried out and lunged knocking Naruto back while mumbling and crying in his chest. The girl with the two boys, Michi Naruto reminded himself, cautiously studied him from behind her twin rubbing what Naruto thought was her bad leg self consciously.

Yasu was staring at his older brother incredulously and he looked frightened.

"Yoshiro," his voice was weak as he watched Naruto comfort his crying brother, "what, what are you doing?" Naruto looked at the other distraught boy in sympathy.

"Yasu, Michi, you don't remember me or even have an impression of me but your older brother does." Rubbing Yoshiro's back as the boy started to calm down Naruto stood up with him still in his arms resting him on his hip. Yasu's eyes grew wider.

"What are you doing?! Don't take my brother!" Naruto paused as he looked down at Yasu and back at Michi.

"I am not leaving you kids. I am taking you with me. Whether you believe me or not you are my children and I am taking you home." For the first time Mache's soft voice spoke up.

"Yasu," she waited for him to turn around and they stared at each other for a time. The boy sighed and nodded then walked over to the girl on the ground. She started to put her arms around Yasu's neck but Naruto stepped up.

"Can, can I carry you?" Both twins startled at the question and seemed to have another silent conversation between them. Michi glanced back at Naruto and nodded shyly. A boyish grin spread across his face as he walked forward and swept the girl up in his other arm, she smiled and giggled but caught herself and ducked her head down ward afraid of some form of reprimand.

"Maa, what's soo funny?" Michi blushed and Naruto feel deeply in love with his little girl he had only just met.

"You aren't as tall as Uncle Gaara." He felt a tick grow in his eyebrow then looked back at the girl.

"So brother is taking care of you guys?" Yoshiro sniffed and rubbed his nose wiggling to be let down.

"Yeah Uncle Gaara and Aunt Akane have been protecting us until you came home."

"Aunt Akane?"

"Yeah Uncle's wife." The color drained from Naruto's face at the implications of the statement. Naruto had missed Gaara's wedding, Gaara's wedding. Gaara was going to be already pissed that he wasn't invited to go to his wedding now add onto the fact he missed Gaara's; Naruto Uzumaki was a dead man walking.

Something struck him as he moved out of the caravan with the two boys trailed after him. Jumping down he watched carefully as the boys jumped after him looking at all the eyes watching their every move.

"This brings up a good question. Why are you here and," he paused to gather his courage, "is your mother here?"

The two boys on the ground forgot about the eyes watching them and had the decency to look sheepish.

"Well you see," Yoshiro started but Yasu finished.

"We got tiered of waiting for you. We figured sense you wouldn't come to us we would come to you." Naruto looked at his youngest son blankly letting the words sink in. And slowly shook his head.

"That was a very stupid thing for you three to do and you can be sure I have more questions but you haven't answered me. Where is Miyako?"

"Uh." The boys looked to each other and Yoshiro mumbled "Well, you see Jifu; she doesn't really know we're here." Stony silence spread across the captive audience as they watched the drama unfold.

"Naruto," He turned to see Sasuke standing to his side. The raven haired man shook his head at the children in disappointment then took in the sight of the grown Yoshiro, "you can't take them back to Suna and you know it."

"No shit Teme. Oh!" The little girl in his arms giggled at his wide eyes, "You didn't hear that." She nodded timidly. "Well I have to take them back to Konoha no other option." It was only Naruto's luck that the captain showed up in time to hear his last statement.

"Demon you aren't taking anything with you and how do we know that these children are yours? They could be completely innocent kids, are you are taking them hostage?"

Naruto could only stare impassively out into the forest as he tried to decide how to handle the situation. He could kill the man, but then that would scar his children and Miyako wouldn't approve. He could try to explain but the man would just argue over him and wouldn't listen. So, Naruto decided for plan C, intimidation. Scratching the back of his neck Naruto lazily looked at his superior, his handler.

"Who do you answer to?" Taken back by the abrupt change of subject the captain stumbled over his answer.

"The Anbu general."

"Who do I answer to?" The captain seemed to expand as his ego tried to fill the area.

"Me."

"Wrong." The air left the man in a great whoosh as he warily watched Naruto come little by little closer to him. "I answer to the Hokage, directly, and any screw up that I might have goes straight to her, and Okaa-san never, ever, really, has a problem with the way I handle any situation."

Standing directly before the captain Naruto shifted Michi in his arm and bounced her softly so the man would take note of her. "I am taking my children home where we will talk to her about this, understood?"

Loosening his hold on his self restraint just a little Naruto let his chakra rejoin his body. He knew that his eyes started glowing red and the little blue left bleed away. His nails grew just a little sharper and his ears just a little more slanted. His senses kicked back into a more heightened level and he could smell and hear so much more and see the details that were lost before.

It was like he had been stuffing his head in a bag and only now remembered he could take it off. He felt foolish for forgetting who he was and trying to pretend to be fully human, again. Miyako would surly hate him now.

The man before him shook like a leaf and Naruto was sure he would piss himself soon, his daughter on the other hand smelt faintly of Miyako and the calm desert heat of the Suna territory she had only recently left. His sons were of a more masculine scent and he could tell Yoshiro was maturing into a healthy teenage boy. Naruto wasn't looking forward to those days at all if Yoshiro was going to be like him in any way shape or form.

As Naruto walked away from the dispersing crowd and shivering captain he looked hesitantly at the little girl in his arms. She was studying him intensely not paying attention to where he was taking her or her brothers hitting each other behind them.

Her small hand came forward and tentatively touched Naruto's beard.

"Do you have those lines on your face too?" Not expecting the question Naruto took a moment to try and gather himself. "Because Yoshi has them." Stopping Naruto turned to Yoshiro.

The boy's posture instinctively became submissive towards his father as he cringed up at the man.

"Have you ever had the whiskers I have Yoshiro?" The boy fidgeted under Naruto's gaze and nodded hesitantly. "Why?"

"I was angry." The long pause grew in size while Naruto waited for the boy to explain. "A kid was making fun of Michi and threw a rock at her and everything." Outrage was clear on the boy's face as he thought of the injustice his sister was at the mercy of. "So I took him out!"

Naruto watched his oldest go through a wide spectrum of emotion as he waited for him to give his verdict; ranging from pride, to uncertainty, to anger then caution.

"Well done. Family is always first. Always." Yoshiro's face lit up and tears were hurriedly wiped away as he trotted up to his father and looked around puffing himself up to look bigger than he was. Naruto looked back at Yasu and saw his youngest son wasn't happy.

"You're a hypocrite, and a liar old man." A long deadly silence filled air as Naruto felt some thing deep in him freeze up at the boy's words.

"What did you call me?" Michi seemed to shrink in his arms and Yoshiro looked at his brother with pity. The boy in question swallowed thickly standing with more dignity and courage than the Anbu captain had.

"You heard me I called you a hypocrite!"

"Yasu," Yoshiro started, "you don't even know what that means!"

"Yeah I do!"

"No. You don't."

"Yeah. I do!" A sharp yip broke the boys apart from fighting and they watched their father closely. Leveling his defiant child with a glare worthy of an Uchiha Naruto asked carefully.

"Did you call me an old man?"

A.N. I am more than positive you hate me with a passion and I have to say I am really, really sorry! Okay so let me get my pity fest in and then you guys can rip into me nicely because each and every one of you matter… I sound like a politician trying to get votes or something.

k. so some have made the point that the first chapter was way to off and at first I thought "aahhh it can't be that far" but I went back and holy crap I am embarrassed. Now I can understand why I felt like the sequel was bad and that there weren't as many reviews anymore and what not. So I am going to take that first really bad chapter and use it to my advantage! Don't give up hope please, please, please! I can't give away my plan or it would ruin it completely!

Hoping you will give this poor despicable writer another chance… and maybe tell them what you like and not like. Psychocitten


	5. Chapter 5

**Historic Day**

As Naruto held his little vixen in his arms his eldest tod ran about his legs and his youngest sulked behind him. The team he had been working with had left him behind after the mission even after all their protesting about him having the kits with him, including Sasuke. The dark haired man had mumbled something about a babysitter and then ran ahead. Somehow managing, beyond his comprehension, to keep an eye on all of his kits at the same time Naruto walked closer and closer to the giant gates looming before him.

Before, when he came home from missions, it was a relief to be away from the field; to finally feel the immediate danger looming over his head disappear. Now he didn't know what it was but the danger seemed to be bigger and loom even closer to his person as he took each step closer to the gates. Taking scent of the breeze he couldn't detect anything out of the ordinary but he couldn't be to sure.

"Yoshiro, come here." The bouncing ball of energy seemed to pause and the boy turned back to Naruto.

"Why?" Raising an eyebrow Naruto stared at the boy in a stalemate before he shrank into himself, sufficiently cowed, and scurried to his father's side.

"And you to Yasu, come here."

"Why?" Unlike Yoshiro's innocent question Yasu's voice was full of petulance and defiance. This time Naruto turned to look at the young boy measuring how far he should let his youngest push him. He watched him, taking in the stiff shoulders and slight wrinkle in the forehead with his red eyes. Naruto also saw the deep exhaustion that had a settled in the kit's bones and decided to let his newest son push.

"Because we are approaching the gate and _you_ need to be with me because _you_ do not have any papers. _You_ can walk with _me_ or can be _arrested_." The slight wrinkle had grown more pronounced and the boy stomped up next to him and glared at the ground by his feet. Naruto refused to believe that that particular trait had come from him.

Approaching the gate the guard on duty glanced up to see who was on the way. He lazily looked back to his clipboard but jumped up as he realized it was Naruto coming. He shifted nervously when he made contact with half lidded crimson eyes.

"This is a much different set of circumstances, the way we are meeting now, isn't it," he looked at the scowling man behind the first guard, "Bushy Brows?" Lee's face grew darker as he watched Naruto before him. Staying silent Lee held out his hand and waited for Naruto to give him the papers.

Looking around to his children Naruto sighed.

"Do you see this kits? Not even a hello," He turned his steady eyes back at Lee, "I used to be a hero here." Shock passed over Lee's face before a number of other emotions came and went to fast to name.

"You left us Naruto! How can you be the noble, bright, glorious hero you were if you were not here to protect your home!" The forgotten guard and children watched with rapt attention to the confrontation before them.

"Who said that this place was my home Bushy Brows? I protect what matters to me the most."

"So we didn't matter?" Shaking his head in aggravation Naruto huffed at the spandex clad man.

"No Bushy Brows,"

"Don't call me that." Surprised but undeterred Naruto continued.

"You are taking this all wrong, so there is no point in trying to talk to you." In a lower tone almost to himself Naruto looked out at the village behind his old comrade. "Just like them." Thrusting the papers towards the other sentry Naruto glared down his nose at him, but the affect was ruined with the little girl in his arms. The guard knew it, Naruto knew it, and by the little giggles by his feet his tods knew it as well.

Giving up the blonde ninja just continued into the village without letting the men read his papers grousing the way about reputations being smashed into tiny pieces as his kits weaved to and fro through his legs and his daughter swiveling her head to see everything.

Putting distance between his skulk and the gate Naruto sniffed the air and could sense the anger already being directed at his person and his own. The undertone that was Konoha was still there, fresh cut wood, fried foods, clean air, and the deep earthy tones filled his nose but that unmistakable anger and pain was the forefront and would always be as long as Naruto walked in the streets of Konoha.

Glancing once again to take stock at where his family was Naruto knew that he wasn't just protecting himself now but the kits. Tensing, he released his hold on his chakra a bit to sharpen his claws and darken his whiskers. Yoshiro missed a step and looked at his father suspiciously while his youngest daughter grew quiet as she noticed the darkening lines under his beard.

"Shouldn't be doing that dobe, they might lock you up again." Looking over to the, now graying avenger Naruto couldn't help a snicker that left a bitter taste on his tongue.

"Look at us. I have to ask when did we get so old Sasuke?" Looking down at his son Sasuke shook his head refusing to let the sigh just at the surface break.

"I do not know, but if I was to guess I would say when they entered our life." Looking down at his son only Naruto, and apparently the boy, could tell Sasuke was proud. The child was on the short side with brown hair and blue eyes, a strange combination for an Uchiha, but he had the traditional bone structure of the family. "His name is Masaru. Masaru, this is the last member of team seven, Uzumaki Naruto."

The boy who had been looking at his feet glanced up at the blonde man but startled at the red eyes looking back at him. Masaru shied and clutched his father's leg trying to hid himself. Scowling Sasuke gently pulled the boy's hand away and nodded an apology at his former team mate. Naruto shrugged the apology off and gestured at the boy.

"Finally found a woman who could stand you?" About to open his mouth to tell Naruto off Sasuke was interrupted by Yoshiro.

"No it was an arranged marriage." Silence filled the gap between the men as Sasuke's jaw clenched, Masaru leaned back into his father, and Naruto's eyes darted back and forth between his son and Sasuke.

"How does he know that?"

"I don't know." Not sensing that his life was truly in danger Yoshiro continued poking at something on the ground with this brother.

"Sasuke-san told me when we went to his house and played in the sand box." The adults blankly looked at the boy trying to remember until Sasuke huffed and turned back to the conversation at hand.

"Yes, the village decided to marry me into the village," his forehead scrunched, "that did not seem to make much sense."

"No. It didn't, but all well, your mind is just slipping with age dobe."

"Shut up." Rolling his eyes Naruto looked back at the boy.

"How old is he? Looks to be young, and what is up with his coloring? He defiantly smells of your clan and his face looks like yours but blue eyes?" As Naruto spoke a dark scowled appeared on Masaru's face and he glared at his father's feet.

"Yes he is an unusual, what did you say Naruto? Coloring?" Quirking his eye brow Sasuke stared at the unabashed man before him and looked to the heavens praying for patience. "He is six."

"What! He is smaller than me when I was that age."

"I can assure you Naruto, he is not smaller but actually might be just a bit taller than what you were. I did not raise my child on ramen." In the back they could hear two voices chime in together asking about ramen just as a smaller lighter voice next to Naruto's ear asked as well.

"Ramen?"

"Yes, my little kit if everyone is good and eats all of their dinner I might get," he looked back at the boys, "everyone ramen." Exclamations could be heard as the little girl in his arms gave him shy smile and rested her head back on his shoulder.

Looking back at Sasuke to see disgust on his face Masaru caught Naruto's eye. The little boy was staring at Naruto's chest unblinkingly and slowly stepped away from his father. Surprised Naruto could do nothing as the child seemed enchanted and walked closer to the much larger blonde. Tentatively Masaru reached out and touched Michi's foot.

Startled the girl jumped and looked down with wide eyes at the boy. Nervously Masaru licked his lips and glanced back at his father to gather courage from the larger man. Finally, the boy did seem to gather something and right before everyone's eyes turned into a miniature Sasuke. He straightened his shoulders, put his hands in his pockets and became the old dark avenger in his hay day.

Naruto panicked, Sasuke smirked, the boys stared in confusion as Michi continued to look on.

"name's Masaru." He said in a firm voice, "what's yours?" It was to much for Naruto as his mind shut off and images of the past Sasuke and his son overlapped. Michi's voice stuttered out her name.

"Hm." Naruto cracked and jumped away from the boy pointing an accusing finger.

"NO! Bad Uchiha!" Masaru looked up at Naruto, sniffed softly, then lazily turned to look with half lidded eyes at Michi again.

"See you later." With that Masaru turned back to his father, who was now grinning, and stood next to him slouching a bit and looking ever bit of his old man in his youth as he could.

"What the hell was that!?" Naruto glared at Sasuke.

"That is a crush Naruto. Masaru is just a little shy around girls."

That day would go down in history for the Uchiha clan as being the best there ever was, the day they struck speechless the Uzumaki loudmouths.

A.N…. so hi how you doing? So I have a legit reason for not getting anything out in a while. I started College! and my life is slowly slipping away into a bottomless abyss called homework. I will continue to try to write but the updates are going to be wonky.

I went back and tried to fix this up just a bit just like the first chapter and the one before this, you can't really tell with the that one. Thank InARealPickle they pointed out the inconsistencies that were going on! Thanks a whole bunch, and if there seems to be more problems please yell at me! But not like "you are a god awful writer go die in a hole" more along the lines of "heeeeyyy, something doesn't seem right!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Prisoner**

Several moments had passed by as Naruto stared at the older Uchiha.

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"What does is sound like?"

"It sounded like you," Naruto glared and jabbed his finger at Sasuke, "said he," Naruto jabbed his finger at Masaru, "had a personality one-eighty because he," again his finger jabbed at the boy who looked to have started sweating, "has a crush on my baby!"

"Hm." Yelling out in frustration Naruto stomped his foot as the boys behind him continued to be confused by the chaos before them.

"Jifu," Yoshiro piped in, "that little brat has a crush on my sister?"

"Apparently."

The Uzumaki brothers were now glaring at the boy across from them who sniffed and looked away causing the boys to growl, Yoshiro's sounding surprisingly real. Looking at his oldest son curiously Naruto shook his head then turned his attention back onto the elder Uchiha.

"Sasuke I am incredibly confused. I, I just," Naruto shook his head and gestured with his free hand at the two children.

"Don't strain yourself Naruto you might fry the remaining brain cells you have." Instead of the usual retort Naruto just gazed off into the distance and nodded. "You really have lost it haven't you Naruto?" The blonde continued to nod. "You will give up ramen and teach me the Rasengan." A few more nods came from Naruto before he snapped out of his trance and leveled a glare at Sasuke.

"I will never give up ramen you bastard!" Yoshiro's voiced piped in from the background.

"Okaa-san will beat you up if you cuss in front of us Jifu." Naruto pointedly ignored his eldest's comment and his daughter's giggle as Sasuke smirked.

"So you will teach me Rasengan?"

"Shut. Up." He sighed, "I'm tired Sasuke. What the hell do you want from me?" Casually walking up to Naruto Sasuke, in a slow deliberate motion, pulled from his breast pocket a bright orange book. Naruto could feel his eyes grow comically wide and snatch the book from the Uchiha, tucking it away in his own pocket.

"I think you should hold onto that." Sputtering and turning red Naruto couldn't meet Sasuke's eyes as the other man scoffed, walking the way Naruto had just come from. "Come along Masaru. We have business to attend to."

"Yes Otou-san." Masaru turned towards Naruto and the little girl he was carrying, "Good-bye Michi-chan, I will talk to you later." He paused, "Uzumaki-sama, a pleasure." The man sputtered again as the young boy sneered at the brothers, "Bakas." And with that parting word Masaru turned and followed after his smirking father. Turning serious after a moments contemplation Sasuke watched Naruto as he spoke

"By the way, Hokage-sama wishes to see you." As the thought of Tsunade passed through Naruto's mind he visibly brightened as his eyes glazed slightly nodding eagerly.

"Then we should be off to see her then!" Naruto glanced at his children as he turned towards the Hokage tower and started a brisk pace. The two boys were startled at their father's hurried walk before starting after the man, jogging to catch up.

* * *

He could feel his palms sweating as he neared the Hokage's door and rubbed his free hand on his pant leg. Absently taking note that Michi shifted at his side Naruto nodded to the anbu guard he could smell and pushed the door open.

"Jifu! Jifu! Wait up!" Naruto paused for a moment to look back at Yasu and Yoshiro who were out of breathe trying to catch up with the fast pace he had set. Some what startled at their state Naruto took a moment to look them over before snapping his attention back towards Tsunade who sat at her desk patiently watching the newly reunited family.

"Okaa-san I'm back from the mission." Tsunade's eyes seemed to dull a moment as she watch Naruto shift from one foot to the next studying her face and posture. "Aren't you happy that I'm back?" Tsunade nodded before looking down at her desk shifting the few papers there.

"Of course I am Naruto." She looked up, "Who do you have with you?" Naruto seemed to snap out of a trance at the mention of the others in the room and remembered the child in his arms and the two boys that had caught their breath standing straight, only slightly flushed.

"Oh," He paused embarrassed as Yasu glared with all of his nine year old might, "right, sorry, these are my kits." Bouncing Michi a bit in his arms he pointed at each child as he rattled out their names. "This is Michi, Yasu, and Yoshiro," he paused a moment at a sudden thought he had, "but you already knew that. Didn't you?" Tsunade looked startled a moment at Naruto's sudden and harsh declaration and stood up from behind her desk stepping towards him and his children cautiously.

"No Naruto, I-I mean, yes I did, but you know, old age and all catching up with me." Naruto's eyes sharpened as he watched Tsunade take the final step to him and place her clammy hand against his face. The sharp glint in Naruto's eyes seemed to leave him as he leaned more into Tsunade's hand and nodded.

"Yeah that's why you're the Oba-chan." Tsunade shared an uneasy laugh with the now calm Naruto as the children watch on in bemusement. She took a deep breath before turning back to the waiting ninja.

"The reason I had called you here was so that you could brief me on the mission, but seeing the children here I would like that explanation instead." Naruto nodded while gazing at his children, "Did you know they were coming back?"

"No."

"Do you know where they came from, or where they were hiding?" A silence stretched out as Naruto stared at his youngest tod. His brow furrowed as he turned his gaze away from the blonde child and glared at the floor. A twitch formed in his jaw and he reached with his free hand to rub the back of his neck. Naruto could feel his head start to pound and something was telling him that he should tell his Okaa-san that his children came from Suna. Why shouldn't he trust his Oka-chan, but another part of him was screaming to keep his mouth shut. A larger part was screaming that something was wrong, that something was screwing with him and Naruto couldn't understand what.

"N-No, I don't know where they were." This time the silence was not a patient wait but became hard as the Hokage looked at her subordinate.

"Are you sure?" He looked up into her eyes.

"Yes, I don't know where they came from." Michi and Yasu watched in confusion as the Hokage's eyes became suspicious then glimmer in approval. Yoshiro on the other hand watched with a mixture of fear, and adrenaline as he had waited for the answer his father would give. Would he have given them away? Deep inside of him Yoshiro knew that if his father had told this woman, his 'Oba-chan,' something bad would have happened, he just wasn't sure what that bad would have been.

"That is fine Naruto. Why don't you ask them yourself and then include it in the report you will be giving me on the mission you were originally sent for. Understood?" Continuing to rub the back of his neck Naruto stretched his shoulders and looked at his now nervous kits again.

"Yeah we should be fine, no problems. I," He paused a minute before placing Michi on the ground, ensuring she was comfortable, and brought his fingers together for his signature move, "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Three clones appeared before him then saluted and ran out the door. Naruto laughed nervously patting the top of his head in embarrassment and picked Michi back up before continuing, "I forgot to clean up the apartment so," he shrugged his free shoulder, "Yeah."

"Understandable." The Hokage drawled.

"Yasu doesn't clean his room either Jifu you don't have to be that embarrassed." Rolling his eyes Naruto thanked his daughter.

"Uzumaki Naruto." The father's attention came back to the Hokage. "You are dismissed." Jerking his back straight Naruto saluted to the Hokage, turned on his heel and promptly slumped out of the office.

"Later Okaa-chan!" A small smile stayed on Tsunade's face until the tapping of the children's shoes disappeared behind the click of the door.

"Are you satisfied?" Tsunade spoke to the office around her, and she was not concerned when a male aged voice answered her.

"Never when it comes to that demon." There was a pause as Tsunade absorbed the answer she already knew. "He lied."

"You know that is not possible."

"Well it did and you better make sure that never happens again, because if it slips from our grasp it will not be only your neck on the line. Your behavior as interrogator was severely lacking as well Hokage-sama" Her title was spoken with a mocking tone and the voice became harsher, "Do you understand?" Tsunade took a moment to collect her anger.

"Yes."

"Good, now you must become closer to the children, we must know everything there is to know about them." Tsunade felt the bitter laugh fill the air she could not repress.

"Like if his children are demons?"

"Exactly."

* * *

Naruto could feel nothing but shame as he took his children up the rickety stairs to his room. Which is what is was, a room. There was nothing there but a room that held a small kitchen, sofa, failing T.V. and a bed in the corner with a dresser and closet. Hopefully the clones had finished cleaning the room. Beer bottles and discarded ramen packets littered the stained floor. The walls, and light switches were covered in dirt and the few pictures that were left could hardly be seen through the layer of grime.

A flood of memories a moment later told him that yes, they had finished cleaning and there was nothing to eat but four packets of ramen. Sighing the, for the moment, single father approached his apartment on the third floor.

"It isn't much I know, but I will find somewhere nicer later. Ok?" The children had not been paying much attention to their father before as the surroundings they had been in was new and, in plainer terms poorer than what they had ever been exposed to before. Experiencing a culture shock the children could only nod. Naruto was oblivious, but knowing where they had grown and with whom he could only feel more discouraged at their reaction towards their surroundings.

Taking a deep breath he opened the door to a neat and orderly plain room. The couch was worn down from years of use, the T.V. antenna was bent out of it original shape and the refrigerator had never been louder to him in all of his months of living there. His two boys made their way into the room as Michi looked about from her high perch on his hip.

"Do you three want to watch some T.V. while I make some ramen for us tonight?" Silent nods answered him as he placed Michi in the deepest impression of the couch. Walking over to the T.V. he heard the boys jump onto the protesting couch and turned the knob. Static flooded the screen as an image tried to appear flickering there and then gone once again. Banging the side of the T.V. the image came into focus showing a late night game show.

"This ok with you guys?" Yoshiro nodded as Michi and Yasu were staring blankly at the screen already. "Greatest babysitter ever." He mumbled. The room was silent except for Naruto shuffling around the cupboards and the overly cheerful T.V. game show host announcing what the contestant had won.

Watching the top of the three blonde heads Naruto could feel the weight of the world start to push down on him. He had missed so many years for his kits. Just when things had started to look up for him it always slips through his fingers. Like ashes leaving behind the evidence that something had once been there, but no more because the 'burning spirit' had decided to take it away. Squaring his shoulders Naruto filled each bowl with ramen before balancing them on his arms and walked to the mesmerized children.

"Well here you guys go." All three kids jumped at the sudden noise in the room and took the bowls from his arms leaving him one. Dropping himself to the ground in front on the couch Naruto took his first bite of ramen and each child followed suite. Looking at his children uncertainly he cleared his throat.

"So what have you, ah" He stumbled over his words, "What," he paused once again to rephrase the question, "How has your life been?" Three pairs of eyes looked back at him. Each similar but so very different in the way they were looking at him. Michi had a slight furrow between her eyes as she seem to be memorizing his features, Yoshiro swelled with some unknown emotion and Yasu, Yasu was glaring at the elder blonde.

"What have we been doing? You wouldn't have to ask that if you were there!" It seemed as if an enemy had taken a cheep shot right into Naruto's face by the sudden and rightful declaration.

"Yes I know that, but I wasn't. Could you tell me what I missed." Yoshiro had deflated at Yasu's harsh criticism but the attention was drawn to Michi has her soft voice broke the sudden tense atmosphere.

"That is a lot of time Jifu."

"Yes it is."

"Why were you gone?"

"That would be almost as hard as you trying to tell me everything I had missed Michi, and I guess the easiest way to explain it," Naruto took a shuddering breath for he knew what he was about to say would shake their view of him, "I am a criminal," he held up his bracelets to the shocked faces, "a prisoner."

**A.N.** … hi. Sorry about this. I guess you would have to go back and read everything again huh? Can't remember what happened? Yeah. Sorry about that. This hasn't been combed through as much as my other chapters so if you guys see anything blaring please send me a message. Any who happy writing and work and school sucks!


	7. Chapter 7

**Little Orange Book**

His children's shoulders and muscles were set rigidly and the air stilled. They tried to comprehend what had just been said. Each child was confused by the admission, but Yoshiro's face was contorted into barley concealed betrayal. Slowly lowering his wrists Naruto could feel the tension in his muscles pull his body into itself. He tried to be brave to finish his explanation; the explanation of his absence, the reasons why he hadn't been there to see their first steps, their first words, their first everythings. He was wondering if they were really reasons or useless excuses for them.

"These bracelets are special." He held his wrists again to them, "they were designed with me in mind actually." Naruto tried to laugh at the irony of receiving a gift from village finally, but the sound stuck in his throat. "These bracelets are keyed, well I shouldn't start with that. There are, well, these seals that are, um." He couldn't believe how badly he was stumbling over his words. Naruto hadn't been like this since having to explain for the first time he had killed some one on a mission.

"Just spit it out." Yasu it seemed had finally lost his patients and was not the only one that looked betrayed. Naruto could hear Yoshiro's teeth grinding together as he tried to keep the tears from falling from his eyes.

"There are seals around the border of Fire Country that create a barrier. They face the outside of the barrier so I can't get to them. My bracelets are keyed to these seals. I can not leave this country. If I do, the seals on the inside of the bracelets activate and knock me on my ass."

Brows furrowed in the three foreheads before him and Naruto could feel his own tears build behind his eyes and his heart break. They looked exactly like Miyako when she was frustrated.

"You didn't try hard enough." It was not an accusation from Yasu, but a bold declaration of fact that tore a little of Naruto's heart.

"But you can do anything." That ripped into Naruto's very soul. Yoshiro read of nothing but betrayal. "You said that you would come for us. Okaa-san said that, even though she grumbled a little after that. She said that you were coming for us." Naruto weighed his words, trying to find the best way to make Yoshiro understand.

"It wasn't my choice Yoshiro. I physically could not leave the cell they had locked me in. Trust me. I tried. I tried so hard that," Naruto's blue eyes dulled as memories best forgotten resurfaced to play a demented game with him. Nights screaming in pain as sick experiments were tested to see how fast a demon could heal. As each memory flashed by, they fogged and receded back into the recesses of his mind. "I tried so hard to get back to you guys, so hard."

The broken family watched each other in the quiet of the apartment. Distant sounds filled Naruto's ears as the diurnal village gave way to the nocturnal inhabitants, the tapping of sandaled feet on the roof above him gave no hint of knowledge of what was happening beneath their feet.

Refusing to meet his father's eyes Yoshiro stared out the cracked window, "I'm not hungry Otou-san." Pressure built on the inside of Naruto eyes at the despondent voice in his tod and he nodded his head before realize what he was agreeing with.

"No, I am sorry Yoshiro, you have to eat something, all three of you. It was a long day and we don't know what is going to happen tomorrow so. Try and finish the ramen." Each child looked doubtfully at the bowl in front of them before pulling clumps of cold ramen out and chewed on the noodles mechanically, and Naruto just watched them.

After eating a few more bites of the ramen Michi paused and swirled the contents around in the bowl. Poking at the merging mass of paste before glancing at her brothers, then at Naruto and took a shuddering breath.

"Otou-san?" Eyes softening Naruto nodded towards Michi to continue, "Why did you go to prison?" He poked at what was in his own bowl before looking back into Michi's eyes noting the boys were watching the exchange closely.

"Let's leave that for another day, hm?" Again, each child looked disappointed at the statement while strangely relieved at the same time. Creases wrinkled their foreheads, but their right eyebrow was raised just enough to show how much they thought that some thing was a miss.

It amazing Naruto how similar their mannerisms matched each other, from simple gestures to manners of speech, Michi's being quiet a bit more polite than the boys. One thing that did stand out the most to Naruto was how they spoke. Their voices were soft but firm, the tone of Suna, not the loud emotional Konoha dialect.

Again Naruto dwelled on the missing years of his children. Looking up he watched them finish the last of their food, and realized that he hadn't paid attention to his food in the least. He had missed part of his kits life because he was brooding about their past. Naruto then painfully and with much reluctance admitted that he sounded like the teme.

Naruto nodded to himself and spoke up for first time during the solemn quiet that had settled over them.

"I promise not to miss out on any more of your lives." Yasu scoffed into his empty bowl before glaring at his father.

"Don't make promises that you can't keep." Yoshiro looked away through the crack in the window while Naruto leveled his stare at his youngest kit.

"I don't." That, in itself, startled Yasu into silence and he locked his jaw, glaring at the innocent bowl in his hands. Naruto stood and picked up each of their half eaten ramen dishes before going into the kitchen and depositing them into the sink. "It's getting late, you guys crawl in bed ok?" They looked at each other before all heading to the bathroom, Yasu helping Michi of course.

The sink faucet started. It seemed they were going to share his tooth brush, disgusting. Yoshiro's muffled voice murmured through the thin wall and two twins stumbled out, one with a foamy mouth, to the kitchen sink. The door clicked behind them. This routine was followed through for each kit one kicking the other out and taking their turn until all three were done and settling into the bed.

Yasu and Michi laid their heads at one end of the bed while Yoshiro was at the other. His oldest didn't have a pillow so Naruto went and gathered a clean jacket, balled it up and gave it to him. Yoshiro gave him a shy smile and from the corner of his eye Naruto could see his kit bury his face into the clothe, breathing in his scent.

"Goodnight kits." The boys shuffled further into the covers while Michi poked her head up to pear over the top of the thin blanket.

"Goodnight," she took a moment to glance at Yasu, whose back was to Naruto, "Otou." Then quickly she dropped down into the creaky mattress and closed her eyes. Naruto watched and listened to the noises that they made before going to the light switch and flicking the tiny room into darkness.

He shuffled to the couch and threw himself onto it and was interrupted with savage jab from a hard object in his pocket. Reaching in he pulled out the little orange book that was the legacy of the Toad Sanin.

The ninjas greatest weapon disguised as the most dirtiest, ridiculous, over the top romance novels ever written. Civilians and ninja alike have access, Suna and Konoha genin to sanin, but that wasn't the point. If a ninja was reading this book for stories they would find it, but if they were looking for something more it would only be only right underneath the surface. Underneath the underneath. Another ingenious little tool for a ninja was the ability to pull and replace pages in the book to hide messages for other ninja.

Using the Icha Icha Paradise books a ninja could learn about the worlds gossip or send coded messages to fellow ninja.

Pulling his flashlight from another pocket Naruto switched it on and started paging through the book. Scene after horrible scene was passed until he came to the first sentence that had one too many commas. If there was one thing that Naruto learned from Jiraiya it was that he was a meticulous man, when he was passionate about something that is.

Carefully he worked his way through the code that was inside the few paragraphs. It seemed that Sasuke wanted to meet up with him, tonight. Glancing at the clock then back at the message Naruto realized that Sasuke wanted to meet up with him fifteen minutes ago. He dropped the book onto the table before turning to his children who he knew was not asleep yet.

"You guys stay right here. You hear me? Don't move!" With those parting words Naruto ran from the room. Unwittingly leaving three very awake children with one very bright, very suspicious book.

Meanwhile Naruto was racing out the window and scaling the building to the rooftop of his apartment to see the visage of a very dark scowl in a way of a greeting.

"You dobe, are late."

"It never bugged you this much when Kakashi was late! Besides I just read your message." Shadows obscured Sasuke's figure but Naruto was able to make out the heave his shoulders made in a silent sigh before continuing.

"Whatever dobe. We have more important things to talk about any way." Sasuke looked out across the roofs and seemed to loose himself in thoughts that Naruto couldn't understand. Scenting the air he could tell that there was a definite change in the atmosphere surrounding Sasuke, the sharp scent of sweat prickled his nose and was coming around the teme's hands.

"What is so important that you gave me that awful book, bring me out her in the middle of the night, and become so suspicious?"

"Naruto," Sasuke lost his voice for a moment before drawing upon the inner Uchiha pride and steeling himself for what ever he needed to say, "the village isn't as you remember it."

"No shit."

"No, will you just shut up!" This shocked Naruto, yes Sasuke yelled at him, but it had been a very long time since the deep furrows between the Uchiha's brow had been that deep, and his lip had curled just so, to expose the sharp canine on one side of his mouth in a silent snarl.

"Jeeze ok sorry. I'll shut up." Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and looked around once more.

"How much do you know on the leadership in Konoha?" Naruto could only stare at Sasuke for a time before slowly answering.

"Is this a trick question?"

"No. Now answer." Scoffing at him Naruto started to talk.

"The head of the village is the Hokage,"

"Wrong." Naruto started at the abrupt interruption that Sasuke threw at him. "You are wrong. The head of the village is not the Hokage, and hasn't been the Hokage for eight years now."

The hard fought for and earned talent of chakra suppression that Naruto had inflicted upon himself cracked just enough, and his nails sharpened without his permission.

"What?" The world for Naruto was becoming so much clearer, and, as he looked into the shadows and watched the slight nervous twitch of Sasuke's jaw, brighter.

"The Hokage has not made any important decisions concerning the village in eight years." Naruto could taste the blood from his lip as his canine slit it.

"You must speak a little more clearly Uchiha, and not in circles."

"The leader of Konoha is not the Hokage, but the council of Konoha…" Chakra spikes in the roof adjacent to the one they were standing on caught Naruto's attention, and hearing the gasp from one of the figures he could guess that he was not entirely human in his visage at the moment.

"May we ask what is going on Uzumaki-sama, Uchiha-sama?" Narrowing his eyes at the anbu that appeared Naruto snarled in warning.

"No you may not."

"I insist," but before he could continue a familiar figure to Naruto appeared from behind the anbu.

"I got here as fast as I could when I felt the chakra! Naruto-nii-san what's going on?" It was Konohamaru and, with this new clarity to the world Naruto couldn't understand how he had got there so fast. If he remembered right Konohamaru wasn't suppose to even be in the village at the moment. Glaring at the younger boy Naruto set his paranoia to the side to analyze later and jerked his head allowing him closer.

"Konohamaru don't worry about it. Sasuke and I were only talking."

"It seemed a lot more than talking!" Naruto gently ran his nails down the back of his neck to keep from slicing himself open and huff.

"Well we are done for tonight." Deliberately turning to keep the anbu in his peripheral Naruto looked to Sasuke. "And I will see you and your kit tomorrow. Don't forget our play date now."

"Hm" With that, each shadow disappeared and Naruto scented the air to be sure they were not in his territory. Anbu were still stationed around his apartment but far enough away to appease him. With little thought to anything else, but the now pressing matter of the safety of his children Naruto scaled down the wall back into his apartment.

**A.N.** I got a flame! It was a bunch of curse words calling me something that I actually can't remember. I think the flamer might have been confused though because it was for the first installment of this story (A Fallen Shinobi), and I think they were angry because of how the first one ended, not realizing that it continues into this one. Who knows I don't really care, I would like to say that life sucks, aaaand leave it at that.

If you guys see any ridiculous errors please tell me! Please and thank you!


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